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Short Of Priests, Bishop Pinch-Hits In Worcester WORCESTER
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esponding to a severe shortage of priests in his Albany Catholic Diocese, Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger took matters into his own hands. When no priest could be found, he drove down to Worces-
OBITUARY, A11
Sheriff, Foe To Vie Twice In Fall Votes COOPERSTOWN
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ounty Sheriff Richard J. Devlin Jr. and his challenger, retired state trooper Bob Fernandez, will face each other at the polls twice this fall. After a hearing Tuesday, Aug. 7, the county Board of Elections ruled that Fernandez’ petitions to run as a Democrat in the general election Nov. 6 are valid. Devlin will be running on the GOP line. The Tuesday before, the board found Fernandez petitions valid to challenge Devlin in the Republican primary Sept. 13 (a Thursday, since Tuesday is 9/11). MURDER TRIAL DUE:
Kevin Perry, 23, accused in the shooting death of his parents last December n the Laurens mobile home, is due to go on trial Oct. 1 in Otsego County Court, Cooperstown. DELGADO AT DINNER:
Antonio Delgado, 19th District congressional candidate, will speak at the annual Democratic Dinner 5-9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at SUNY Oneonta’s Hunt Union Ballroom.
For 210 Years
AllOTSEGO.com
Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, August 9, 2018
By DENNIS ENRIGHT
Jake Rury, who joined his father at Rury’s Food Store in Cherry Valley and worked there until retiring in 2017, more than 70 years later, died Sunday, Aug. 5 at 93/
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COOPERSTOWN AND AROUND
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Volume 210, No. 31
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Otsego County’s Newspaper
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O M C O PE
►THINGS TO DO IN GREATER COOPERSTOWN/INSIDE
E WIL
r Roll Sushi Regula
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sine Japanese Cui
Newsstand Price $1 COUNTYWIDE, DOZEN CFAs SOUGHT
Village Seeks $300K For Skylight Repair By JIM KEVLIN COOPERSTOWN
Bishop at St. Joseph’s
ter at the 11th hour Sunday, Aug. 5, and conducted the mass Please See BISHOP, A3
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he Village of Cooperstown has spent perhaps as much a quarter-million dollars in the past half-decade to make up for “40 or
►For list of CFA grants being sought locally, from Lettis Highway improvements to Schenevus distribution center, see A13
50 years of delayed maintenance,” according to Trustee Lou Allstadt, who has championed the upgrades. Please See CFA, A11
Off Life-Support, Ethics Board Stirs At 1st Meeting Ever, Trio Looks At Scope Of Responsibilities By PARKER FISH ONEONTA
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or the first time since county reps created it 28 years ago, the Otsego County Ethics Board met Tuesday, Aug. 7. All three members, the first ever appointed – Michelle Catan, Brett Holleran and Kim Muller – were briefed on what their responsibilities will be when then begin holding hearings on purported ethical lapses in county government, perhaps as soon as September. County Attorney Ellen Coccoma, who led the briefing, suggested they elect a chairman, but they demurred for the time being. When the county Board of Representatives passed Local Law Number 2 of 1990, Please See ETHICS, A3
Parker Fish/The Freeman’s Journal
County Attorney Ellen Coccoma, top left, briefs Kim Muller, Brett Holleran, lower left, and Michelle Catan at the county Ethics Board’s first meeting Tuesday, Aug. 7, in Oneonta.
Indoor Farmers From Endwell About To Sow At Otego School By PARKER FISH
NOT YET: Chipper Jones’ OTEGO pregnant wife, Taylor, due on Induction Day, had not yet fter closing its doors delivered by press time. just one year ago, the Otego Elementary School is preparing to welcome its newest tenant:
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farming start-up AgZeit LLC (pronounced like “excite”). The two developers of 55-plus housing, Two Plus Four of Syracuse and LLP Management of South New Berlin, had pulled out of consideration, leaving only AgZeit and the Kildonan
Pierstown Grange In High Water By LIBBY CUDMORE PIERSTOWN
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n inch and seveneighths may not seem like much, but at the Pierstown Grange, it’s devastating. “In April, we realized that the current road drainage was pushing the building from north to south,” said Paul Lord, grange president. “We’re afraid the whole thing is going to come crashing down on us.” Built in 1898, the grange has been well-maintained for 120 years. But, “a few years ago, we noticed the hardwood floors were becoming soft in places,” said Lord. “We tore them up and put down plywood, but underneath, we found dirt and sand that had come up through the foundation.” Lord hung makeshift plumb bobs from the columns in the dining room, and found that, while the strings were flush against the beam at the top, the weights on the Please See GRANGE, A11
Only Little MCS Decides To Buy Students’ Supplies
By LIBBY CUDMORE School. In front of a crowd of 30 people on Monday, Aug. 6, MILFORD the Unatego Central school board deliberated between ast summer, as Miltwo final proposals. ford Superintendent of The school board discovSchools Mark Place ered The Kildonan School, a was shopping at Walmart, he secondary school in Amenia, had a revelation. Please See SCHOOL, A8 “Fifty percent of our kids
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get free or reduced lunch,” he said. “It’s a lot to ask our families to buy school supplies.” So this year, Milford Central will provide all supplies – pens and pencils, paper, notebooks and binders, even crayons and markers, as well as hand sanitizer and tissues Please See SUPPLIES, A7
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST PRINT CIRCULATION 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD